The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a well-oiled machine at this point, constantly releasing new content in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans like me who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order saw as James Gunn made the Guardians of the Galaxy into fan favorite characters.
The ending of Guardians Vol. 3 gave all of them happy ending, and it's unclear if we'll see them in any upcoming Marvel movies. Drax in particular looks like he's gone, as Dave Bautista has been open about needing a break from the makeup. During a recent interview with THR, the 55 year-old star got honest about his feelings now that there's been some distance from his signature character. In his words:
I wouldn’t say I miss [Drax]. What I do miss is the family environment. It’s hard knowing that we will never be on set together again. Me, Chris, Zoe, Pom, Karen, Sean Gunn, James Gunn — it’s never going to happen again. It’s hard to live with that.
This is an emotional response, one that is sure to elicit a strong reaction from fans of the cosmic franchise. The Guardians of the Galaxy cast and crew clearly bonded deeply during their time together, which spanned three movies and a Holiday Special. Case in point: the cast signed a letter of solidarity for James Gunn when he was temporarily fired by the studio.
So while Bautista doesn't necessarily miss chewing the scenery (and zarg-nuts) as Drax, it's tough dealing with the fact that the group will never assemble in the same way again. In the same interview, the wrestler-turned-actor revealed how little closure he got from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise thanks to scheduling issues. In his words:
Our last night filming was here in Hollywood, and we wrapped at 3 or 4 in the morning. And then I literally had to run to the hotel, get my bags, jump on a jet and fly to Philadelphia to start Knock at the Cabin two days later. I was then on another film, and I didn’t do press or make the premiere for Guardians 3. So there’s just a huge part of me that feels like there was no closure. I never really got to say goodbye to that character and that cast, and there’s always going to be some sadness involved when I start thinking about that.
Well now even I'm a little heartbroken. It's so heartening to see how strong the connection is within the Guardians franchise, and that chemistry definitely showed onscreen. Maybe this strong emotion will inspire him to play Drax again sometime in the future. Hey, we can dream!
The title cards that played at the end of Guardians 3 claimed that Chris Pratt's Star-Lord would be back, but there's been no news about when that might be. But there are interesting narratives to pull from the entire group. Rocket is the leader of the new Guardians, Mantis is on adventure by herself, and Nebula and Drax are the leaders of Knowhere.
The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is streaming now on Disney+. The MCU's next release is Captain America: Brave New World on February 14th. While we wait, check the 2025 movie release dates.
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